Woman sues over Pap smears before cancer diagnosis

The Washington Hospital says no 'widespread deficiencies' in prelim results

Published 11:33 AM EST Nov 16, 2012

WASHINGTON, Pa. -

A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital is reviewing patient Pap smear slides after a woman filed suit claiming her tests were misread for five years before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The Washington Hospital says the complaint prompted it to immediately consult with independent experts and cooperate with investigating agencies. The hospital says preliminary results show no "widespread deficiencies" in evaluation of the samples.

The review was prompted by a malpractice suit filed last month against the hospital and eight doctors, claiming doctors missed evidence of the cancer threat.

The woman has undergone treatment and was declared cancer-free.

The attorney handling the suit tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (http://bit.ly/RYhrxG ) more than 500 slides are being reviewed at a Pittsburgh hospital.

The doctor accused of misreading the tests says a 2006 test was found abnormal at the time but there was no follow-up.

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Information from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com

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